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Sabroso markets China Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Sabroso Company employee Cedric Buckingham organizes crates at the company�s Medford plant. Sabroso will enter the Chinese market in a plan to develop two-way trade by buying Chinese fruit and selling its puree for use in other products, such as baby food, pictured below. Medford fruit processing firm opens office there By SHARI DOWNHILL Medford-based fruit processor Sabroso Company has expanded its business to the Pacific Rim, opening a representative office in China. Sabroso�s international move will be showcased in a reception at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater tonight . "Our latest interest has been to explore emerging markets for our products in China�s large agricultural (market)," said Jim Root, president of Sabroso. Sabroso processes fruit into purees used in products manufactured, packaged and marketed by other companies, such as Gerber, Heinz and Nestle. Company managers also will look for other long-term investment opportunities and ways to expand two-way trade with China, Root said. "China is resource-rich in terms of land and agricultural products," he said. "They also have a vast labor supply. Those things give them an advantage in the world of business." Attaining a license to do business in China has been difficult and time-consuming, Root said. "It�s been a real challenge. We certainly understand better now the role the Chinese government has in business, which is a lot more involved than the U.S. government." Sabroso�s European competitors entered the Chinese market about two years ago, something Root says has been an advantage to his company. "In terms of strategy, it has generally been our preference not to be the first to enter a market," Root said, adding that Sabroso can avoid the mistakes of its competitors and therefore be more efficient. The development of China�s apple trade, which now produces 40 percent of the world�s supply, was a significant catalyst for Sabroso�s interest in China. "It�s an example of how China is entering into global commerce," he added. Reach reporter Shari Downhill at 776-4463, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.